Installation for the automatic removal and reception of loads through the intermediary of transport vehicles

Abstract

The transport installation comprises a reception station and a transport vehicle between which a load can be displaced in a horizontal plane by movement of the vehicle. To avoid the necessity of raising the transport vehicle or of having recourse to an auxiliary vehicle, an endless conveyor, extending in the direction of displacement of the transport vehicle is provided at the reception station. The endless conveyor comprises a horizontal portion for receiving the load and this portion is preceded by a downwardly inclined portion intersecting the horizontal plane along which the load can be transported. At least one drive wheel, co-operating with a corresponding drive element carried by the transport vehicle, is provided at the reception station for driving the endless conveyor at the same time as the transport vehicle.

I claim: 
     
       1. A transport installation for automatic displacement of loads, comprising: at least one driveable transport vehicle;   at least one reception station defining a load transfer side;   said at least one transport vehicle being driveable for substantially horizontal displacement in two opposing directions for load transfer at said at least one reception station;   said at least one driveable transport vehicle being equipped with load support means defining a substantially horizontal plane for a load to be transported by said driveable transport vehicle;   said at least one transport vehicle comprising a conveyor drive element extending thereat in the direction of said substantially horizontal displacement;   said at least one reception station comprising a stationary frame and an endless conveyor supported at said stationary frame;   said endless conveyor comprising a substantially horizontally extending load bearing portion and a downwardly inclined load transfer portion on said load transfer side of said at least one reception station;   said load transfer portion extending below said horizontal plane defined by said support means at said at least one driveable transport vehicle; whereby said load may be lifted off said support means when said vehicle travels in a first horizontal direction or delivered onto said support means when the vehicle travels in a second horizontal direction opposite the first;   said at least one reception station further comprising conveyor drive means;   said conveyor drive means defining a first end which is drivingly connected to said endless conveyor and a second end which is drivingly connectable to said conveyor drive element at said at least one driveable transport vehicle; and   said conveyor drive element at said at least one driveable transport vehicle being drivingly connected to said second end of said conveyor drive means during the load transfer at said at least one reception station in a preselected one of said two opposing directions of substantially horizontal displacement of said at least one driveable transport vehicle in order to drive said load transfer portion and said load bearing portion of said endless conveyor at said at least one reception station in the same direction and at the same speed as said at least one transport vehicle is driven.   
     
     
       2. The transport installation as defined in claim 1, wherein: said conveyor drive means at said at least one reception station comprises at least one toothed wheel at said second end thereof;   said conveyor drive element at said at least one driveable transport vehicle extending in the direction of said horizontal displacement of said transport vehicle and comprising at least one toothed rack; and   said at least one toothed wheel of said conveyor drive means being drivingly connected to said at least one toothed rack at said at least one driveable transport vehicle during said load transfer at said at least one reception station.   
     
     
       3. The transport installation as defined in claim 2, wherein: said at least one toothed wheel at said second end of said conveyor drive means and said at least one toothed rack at said at least one driveable transport vehicle being disposed below said inclined load transfer portion of said endless conveyor;   said endless conveyor defines a bottom side remote from said load transfer portion and said load bearing portion thereof; and   said first end of said conveyor drive means being drivingly connected to said bottom side of said endless conveyor.   
     
     
       4. The transport installation as defined in claim 3, wherein: said endless conveyor comprises a chain conveyor including at least one conveying chain which extends in the direction of said horizontal displacement of said at least one driveable transport vehicle;   said first end of said conveyor drive means comprising at least one chain drive wheel drivingly connected to said at least one conveying chain; and   said at least one chain drive wheel and said at least one toothed wheel being coaxially arranged with respect to each other.   
     
     
       5. The transport installation as defined in claim 4, wherein: said support means at said at least one driveable transport vehicle having a predetermined width;   said chain conveyor comprises two conveying chains;   said two conveying chains being spaced by an amount exceeding the width of said support means at said at least one driveable transport vehicle and their related load bearing portions extending in said horizontal plane defined by said support means; and   said conveyor drive means comprising two toothed wheels and two chain drive wheels and said at least one driveable transport vehicle comprising two toothed racks, each said toothed wheel, each said chain drive wheel and each said toothed rack being operatively associated with a related one of said two conveying chains during said load transfer between said at least one driveable vehicle and said at least one reception station.   
     
     
       6. The transport installation as defined in claim 4, wherein: said at least one reception station further comprises at least one mobile tension arm connected at said stationary frame;   said at least one mobile tension arm carrying said coaxially arranged at least one toothed wheel and at least one chain drive wheel; and   said at least one mobile tension arm being displaceably arranged at said stationary frame in order to tension said at least one conveying chain.   
     
     
       7. The transport installation as defined in claim 1, wherein: said conveyor drive element at said at least one driveable transport vehicle comprises at least one friction surface extending thereat in the direction of said horizontal displacement;   said conveyor drive means comprising at least one friction wheel at said second end thereof; and   said at least one friction wheel at said conveyor drive means being frictionally drivingly connected to said at least one friction surface at said at least one driveable transport vehicle during said load transfer at said at least one reception station.   
     
     
       8. The transport installation as defined in claim 1, wherein: said at least one driveable transport vehicle comprises a track-suspended driveable transport trolley;   said load support means comprising engageable and releasable attachment means for carrying said load at said driveable transport trolley; and   actuating means for actuating said attachment means in order to engage or release said attachment means to or from said load.   
     
     
       9. The transport installation as defined in claim 8, wherein: said actuating means for actuating said attachment means in order to engage or release said attachment means to or from said load are located at said at least one reception station; and   said actuating means acting upon said attachment means at said at least one driveable transport trolley during said load transfer at said at least one reception station in order to release said attachment means from said load during transfer of the same from said driveable transport trolley to said load bearing portion of said endless conveyor and to engage said attachment means to said load during transfer of the same from said load bearing portion of said endless conveyor to said at least one driveable transport trolley.   
     
     
       10. The transport installation as defined in claim 1, wherein: said conveyor drive means at said at least one reception station comprise a free-wheel clutch mechanism; and   said free-wheel clutch mechanism being operatively associated with said first end and said second end of said conveyor drive means in order to drivingly connect said first end of said conveyor drive means to said endless conveyor only in said preselected one of said two opposing directions of horizontal displacement of said at least one driveable transport vehicle.   
     
     
       11. The transport installation as defined in claim 1, wherein: said at least one driveable transport vehicle is substantially horizontally displaceable in said two opposing horizontal directions at floor level;   said at least one driveable transport vehicle defining a longitudinal axis; and   said load support means extending symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal axis of said transport vehicle.   
     
     
       12. The transport installation as defined in claim 5, wherein: said stationary frame comprises two substantially parallel frame elements;   each said frame element carrying a selected one of said two conveying chains; and   said two parallel frame elements being arranged in spaced relationship with respect to each other to permit said at least one driveable transport vehicle to pass therebetween during said load transfer at said reception station.   
     
     
       13. The transport installation as defined in claim 1, wherein: said conveyor drive element at said at least one driveable transport vehicle extends laterally of said support means.   
     
     
       14. The transport installation as defined in claim 4, wherein: said chain conveyor at said at least one reception station extends in the direction of said horizontal displacement of said at least one driveable transport vehicle; and   said chain conveyor comprising at least two sprocket wheels arranged at opposed ends thereof and guide means at which said inclined load transfer portion of said chain conveyor branches off from said load bearing portion thereof.   
     
     
       15. The transport installation as defined in claim 8, wherein: said conveyor drive means at said at least one reception station comprise a further chain conveyor defining said first end and said second end of said conveyor drive means; and   said further chain conveyor including a chain wheel located at said first end thereof and drivingly connected to said endless conveyor, a drive wheel at said second end thereof and drivingly connectable to said conveyor drive element at said at least one driveable transport vehicle, and a drive chain drivingly interconnecting said chain wheel and said drive wheel.   
     
     
       16. The transport installation as defined in claim 15, wherein: said chain wheel located at said first end of said further chain conveyor and drivingly connected to said endless conveyor constituting guide means at which said load transfer portion branches off from said load bearing portion of said endless conveyor.